The Warrior Cats
Warrior Cats are a race in Free Realms, characterized by their use of any of the various tiger mounts, and the guild they belong to (i.e Warrior Cats of __Clan) . They can be found throughout the realms. The Species To make things fair in the RP world, Free Realms Warrior Cats are not regular house cats but are hybrid wild cats. Meaning they are more like members of the big cat family such as tigers, cheetahs, lions, etc. They are also the size their respective big cat hybrid. For example: All cheetah hybrids are 83-145 lbs, 3-4.5ft They hail from Greenwood Forest, and most still reside there. Although it's still possible to find them in any heavily wooded or non-urban areas. They are very hostile towards other sentient races in the realms, and are known to prefer their own kind; most having absolutely no desire to enter society. Warrior Code (Taken from http://warriors.wikia.com) 'The Traditional Warrior Code is as follows:' #Defend your Clan, even with your life. You may have friendships with cats from other Clans, but your loyalty must remain to your Clan, as one day you may meet them in battle. #Do not hunt or trespass on another Clan's territory. #Elders, queens, and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating. #Prey is killed only to be eaten. #A kit must be at least six moons old to become an apprentice. #Newly appointed warriors will keep a silent vigil for one night after receiving their warrior name. #A cat cannot be made deputy without having mentored at least one apprentice. #The deputy will become Clan leader when the leader dies, retires or is exiled. #After the death or retirement of the deputy, the new deputy must be chosen before moonhigh. #A Gathering of all Clans is held at the full moon during a truce that lasts for the night. There shall be no fighting among Clans at this time. #Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats. #No warrior can neglect a kit in pain or danger, even if the kit is from a different Clan. #The word of the Clan leader is the warrior code. #An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense. #A warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet. #Each Clan has the right to be proud and independent, but in times of trouble they must forget their boundaries and fight side by side to protect the Clans as a whole. Each Clan must help the others so that no Clan will fall. 'Exceptions:' #Cats on their way to the Moonstone or Moonpool are allowed to cross other Clans' territories to get to their destination #Cats may travel on other Clan territories if they have something to report or ask for help #The code is flexible about leadership challenges. Cats may challenge a weak or cruel leader if their Clan is in danger, and if their leadership threatens the Clan, the code expects a warrior to challenge their leader 'Additional Rules:' #Medicine cats may not have a mate or kits #Kits must stay in camp until they are apprenticed, and are not allowed to hunt. #The safety of the Clan is more important than the safety of one cat. #Clans must not unite together to drive out another Clan. #Clans must not force another Clan to share territory. #Enemy patrols must not attack cats if they are on a mission all Clans agree on. #Cats cannot eat when going to the Moonstone or Moonpool to speak with StarClan. Clan Culture Religion: StarClan are the deceased warrior ancestors of the Clans, who live on in spirit form after dying and watch over the living Clan cats. There is no specific leader for StarClan, since there are many cats from all the Clans that work together. They are responsible for sending signs and omens to the living cats. The Place of No Stars (informally known as the Dark Forest) is the opposite of StarClan's hunting grounds. It is a place where cats that have committed great crimes against the Clans and against the Warrior Code go when they die. However, cats who commit crimes but believe they are following the Warrior Code by doing them can usually join the ranks of StarClan instead. Language: Warrior Cats are capable of speech and have their own distinct voices, typically being quite deep. They also have many of their own sayings and idioms. They vary based on the environment the cat hails from, similar to accents. You can find that topic explained in depth at: http://warriors.wikia.com/wiki/Clan_Terminology#Clan_Ranks Names: Traditional Clan names are made of two parts. The prefix is assigned at birth by the parents of the cat and often shows homage to their appearance or personality. It can be virtually any word the Clan cats would know, and stays with that cat forever. The Free Realms cats have alot more choices due to the exposure they've had to other races and worlds in the realms. (ex. Blue-'', ''Oak-'', ''Tiger-'') The suffix assigned at birth is ''-kit. From then on it changes based on rank and is given by the Leader of the Clan. Suffixes are not capitalized like prefixes. Apprentices are given ''-paw'' to signify the "path their paws are now on." Warriors and Medicine Cats get the same freedom with their suffix as with their prefix, but the Leader chooses it. (ex. ''-pelt'', ''-talon'', ''-fern'') The only other times it changes is if the cat becomes a Clan Leader, in which case StarClan grants them the suffix ''-star,'' or in a very rare ceremony where the Leader completely changes a cat's full name. Clan Hierarchy These are the various ranks that make up a Clan: Kit - A kitten younger than six moons. Apprentice - A cat at least six moons old, and training to be a warrior (or a Medicine cat.) ''Warrior ''- A mature cat who has completed his or her warrior training. ''Queen ''- A she-cat with kits to take care of or who is pregnant with kits, or stays in the nursery helping other queens even though they have no kits. ''Elder ''- Cats who cannot hunt or fight anymore, sometimes due to injury, loss of sight, sickness, or are just too old to do their warrior duties. They are treated with great respect in the Clan. ''Medicine cat ''- A cat who heals injuries and/or illnesses, who is skilled with herbs, leaves and natural cures and sometimes receives special signs or prophecies from StarClan. ''Deputy ''- A warrior who is second in command to the leader, helping the leader in their tasks and replacing them after their death or resignment. They organize patrols and make reports to the leader, and are known to be frequently given apprentices. ''Leader ''- A cat who controls the entire Clan. A leader is granted nine lives by StarClan so they can have extra time to serve and lead their Clan. The Gatherings Every sunday, the Warrior Cats meet at a preset location in a time of peace to discuss the week's events, including news from every Clan. There is no formal alliance from these gatherings, only a respect for tradition. Elder Clans The term Elder Clan is specific to the Free Realms Clans, due to the large number of Clans there were. The Elder Clans were the oldest and most renowned Clans in the realms. They stuck to the traditional Warrior Code and culture. The Elder Clans are also the ones who established the Sunday Gatherings and the Hybrid System. The Elder Clans (Dead and Alive): *RavenClan *DarkmoonClan *EclipseClan *BloodClawClan *EmberClan *ShadowlightClan *SunClan *SkyfallClan The Clans of Free Realms: Sunrise *BloodClawClan *EquinoxClan